How The Little Medical Cultivator Saves the Furries – CH50

Chapter 50

“I heard he was recruited from the Xihe Federation.”

The person speaking did not notice anyone behind him and kept going.

“Someone from a backwater place like the Xihe Federation—how many premium ingredients could he possibly have seen? And yet he actually said there was something wrong with the rice we selected…”

“Ahem, ahem, ahem!”

Meng Pinghua quickly made a sound and cut him off.

The purchasing agent finally reacted, turned around, and immediately fell silent.

The two men looked Ye Yumeng over. First came confusion, and then, after noticing the badge on his chest, their eyes filled with obvious dissatisfaction.

Meng Pinghua wiped the sweat from her forehead and turned back to Ye Yumeng with an awkward smile.

Ye Yumeng, however, did not mind in the least. Compared with tangible benefits, what did a little gossip matter?

“Hello,” Ye Yumeng said openly and calmly. “I’m the Doctor Ye you were just talking about—the one from the Xihe Federation who’s also working part-time as a purchasing inspector.”

Hearing him put it so directly, the purchasing specialist finally withdrew his rude stare, somewhat embarrassed.

“I’m Jin Ting,” the first man said. “The person in charge of procurement for the Royal Sanatorium.”

The other introduced himself as well. “Li Fubo, purchasing specialist.”

Just as Meng Pinghua was about to smooth things over, Jin Ting looked Ye Yumeng up and down, frowned, and said, “You’re really a doctor? You look underage.”

“…”

Meng Pinghua looked as though she were about to faint on the spot, but Ye Yumeng was already used to it.

“In the Xihe Federation, eighteen counts as adulthood,” he explained.

“But this is the Yaojin Empire.”

Ye Yumeng’s answer only deepened Jin Ting’s impression that the Xihe Federation was some “backwater place.”

He fixed his gaze on Ye Yumeng and asked bluntly, “You’re the one who said there was a problem with the new batch of rice in the cafeteria, right?”

Sweat beaded on Meng Pinghua’s forehead as she looked nervously at Ye Yumeng.

Facing the challenge, Ye Yumeng only shook his head and said, “No. I said the previous batch of rice was of better quality and more beneficial to my patients’ recovery.”

Jin Ting’s face darkened.

If one was talking about something even better in quality than premium ingredients, then only produce from a plant king specimen would qualify.

Only plant king produce was more easily absorbed by the body and more effective at repairing it, especially for the sick.

But in terms of taste, the difference between plant king produce and premium ingredients was not all that obvious. Usually, one needed laboratory analysis to tell them apart. Who could distinguish them after a single bite?

Now that the previous batch of rice had already been used up, there was no evidence left. It truly was nothing more than his word against theirs!

If this led to an overnight investigation and it turned out they really had made no mistake, and the purchasing records did indeed state premium ingredients, then warehouse management would take the fall for nothing.

Jin Ting still wanted to say more, but then Doctor Ye—the one with the delicate, beautiful face—spoke in a gentle voice: “My patients are still waiting for me to get back. Can we start now?”

When all was said and done, patients came first.

And besides, this had been the hospital’s decision. No matter how much he doubted it, he had no way to change that.

Jin Ting could only shut his mouth and nod. “How do you want to begin?”

Ye Yumeng actually did not know the proper process either, so he looked toward Meng Pinghua.

Seeing everyone’s eyes turn to her, Meng Pinghua hurriedly explained, “It’s like this. The director said that ingredients meeting your requirements are probably quite rare, so the ones you select will be supplied to the Core Inpatient Department as a priority.”

The Core Inpatient Department housed serious patients, and their identities and status were anything but ordinary, so priority supply made perfect sense.

Ye Yumeng nodded. That matched what Mo Yin had told him.

“Then do I need to come pick every day?” he asked.

“The vegetables and fruits the cafeteria serves are all locally cultivated and picked fresh every day,” Meng Pinghua said hesitantly. “Although some produce keeps a little longer, I’d say you’d need to come at least every three days?”

Ye Yumeng was not the type to take money without doing the work. In any case, he came to the cafeteria every day to eat, so coming by to pick things out as well would not take much time.

But what about when he had to leave again, like before, to go to another hospital wing? There would always be unexpected situations that made him unavailable.

After thinking it over, he said, “There’s no problem with the vegetables and fruits the cafeteria supplies for now. At present, you only need to pay attention to the grains.”

In the premium cuisine section, he could pick out several spiritual plants every day, and the amounts were already enough.

Even he himself, though he was eating spiritual plants at every meal now, still chose carefully. His patients were physically weak and also needed a mixed diet.

But spiritual rice porridge—a grain that was easy to digest, easy to absorb, and especially nourishing—could be eaten long-term, whether paired with ordinary foods or spiritual vegetables.

“Can we keep all the other ingredients the same as usual, and only have me select the grains?” Ye Yumeng asked.

That remark improved the expressions of the two purchasing agents considerably.

Compared with fruits and vegetables, plant king grains were much harder to distinguish. If the rice merchant had made a mistake, that really would not be unusual.

Jin Ting nodded. “The grains are over there.”

Li Fubo then handed Ye Yumeng a tablet. “These are the sampling and analysis results for this batch of grain. You can take a look.”

The Royal Sanatorium cafeteria purchased ingredients of very high quality, especially for the premium cuisine section.

Both purchasing agents held themselves to high standards. They trusted that every ingredient they had chosen and approved could stand up to analysis by instruments.

Unfortunately, Ye Yumeng did not look at that kind of thing, and even if he did, he would not understand it.

After taking the tablet, he merely held it casually in hand and followed Meng Pinghua to where the rice was stored.

“This is what we ordered according to the requirements. The rice merchant delivered it this morning.”

Meng Pinghua said, “There’s still more in the warehouse. If needed, we can take you there too.”

Ye Yumeng nodded in acknowledgment, his eyes sweeping over the newly delivered grain.

With Aura Sight active, he easily identified which sacks contained the spiritual rice he wanted.

Of course, because rice merchants in this world had no technique for identifying spiritual grain, everything was stored mixed together. Each sack contained a different proportion of spiritual rice.

After comparing them carefully, Ye Yumeng ultimately chose the two sacks with the highest concentration of spiritual energy.

One sack of white rice, one sack of millet—so they could alternate between them.

“These two are the highest in quality. I hope they can be supplied to my patients as a priority,” he said, pointing them out casually.

Jin Ting and the others all froze.

He did not need any data analysis at all? He could really identify, with the naked eye alone, which ingredients came from higher-grade plant king stock? Was that even possible?

Meng Pinghua, who had already been warned in advance, was only startled for a moment before quickly nodding. “Of course. From now on, whenever you come to the cafeteria, we’ll set these aside specially.”

Naturally, the “special supply” would be based on the ingredients Ye Yumeng personally selected.

Even if they really were plant king produce, the cafeteria had originally purchased them at premium-ingredient prices, so they would not lose anything.

“Other than these two sacks, what else?” she asked.

So Ye Yumeng pointed out more than a dozen additional sacks, labeling them in order according to the concentration of spiritual energy.

As for the rest, although some of them also had traces mixed in, the concentration was already close to negligible.

“For now, this is enough,” Ye Yumeng said. “When they’re used up, I’ll let you know.”

He gave no guidance on the other ingredients. He only asked Meng Pinghua whether he could take a few pieces of fruit with him.

They were called mandarin fruits, half red and half blue, sweet and tart, and Ye Yumeng had tasted them before.

Even though he had said he would not specially select fruits and vegetables for the cafeteria, once he saw spiritual fruit, he still found it hard to walk away.

Meng Pinghua’s expression turned odd. Could these fruits possibly also have come from plant king stock?

Were there really this many bargains to be found?

“That’s fine. Just scan your card,” she said in the end, and still charged him the normal rate.

After all, if it was really a bargain, then it was Doctor Ye’s own ability that let him find it.

Before, Ye Yumeng had always used Ah Mo’s card. Now that he had been promoted and had money of his own, he tried tapping his own identity badge instead.

And the result—

It cost nothing at all!

He hid his surprise and calmly asked Meng Pinghua about the cafeteria’s payment policy.

She told him, “Everyone’s welfare package is different. The details depend on what you negotiated with the sanatorium when you signed on.”

So that was how it worked?

Although the sanatorium had never actually negotiated anything with him, did that mean that now he had been promoted to doctor, he could eat at the cafeteria for free?

Thinking of Mo Yin, Ye Yumeng could not help wondering whether this was yet another benefit the little rabbit’s family had secured for him.

After all, the little rabbit’s family was very likely some major force in the planting industry. Since the ingredients used by the sanatorium probably came from Ah Mo’s employer, he would naturally have that kind of influence.

Then again, on second thought, Ye Yumeng quietly shook his head.

The more likely explanation was that this had something to do with the “life-preserving talisman.” This was probably one of the perks the Yaojin imperial family had given him in order to win him over.

No matter how he looked at it, though, it was still a good thing for him.

So Ye Yumeng selected a few more spiritual fruits, carried them away in bags big and small, and from the cheerful look of his back alone, one could tell how pleased he was.

Jin Ting and the others watched him leave, then all found their gazes drifting back to the dozen or so sacks of grain he had marked.

“Jin, can you tell the difference?” Meng Pinghua asked.

To be honest, Meng Pinghua had been running cafeteria operations for many years and had a decent eye herself, but she truly could not see any difference at all between these sacks of rice.

“Could he just be talking nonsense?” Li Fubo muttered quietly.

Jin Ting examined the grains in his hand with a magnifier and frowned. “He probably wouldn’t go that far… How about we try tasting them?”

Meng Pinghua was burning with curiosity too, but she still shook her head. “These are for the Core Inpatient Department. Especially these two sacks—you two can give that idea up.”

As for taking them for testing…

Testing for plant king produce was extremely expensive, and Meng Pinghua was not at all enthusiastic about it.

Jin Ting pursed his lips, then suddenly thought of something. “Didn’t this Doctor Ye just eat breakfast in the cafeteria this morning?”

“That’s right.”

“Let’s find out what he ate and try the same thing!”

The three exchanged looks, then quickly had Ye Yumeng’s breakfast dishes brought out, each of them getting a portion. After they ate, all three fell silent.

Then, without saying a word, they each got another serving of dishes from the premium cuisine section that Ye Yumeng had not selected.

Even though they were all expensive ingredients from the premium section, and the cooking methods had been the same, the difference was suddenly obvious.

The portion Ye Yumeng had eaten really was more delicious. Ordinary people would probably only assume it was because the chef happened to do a better job, and would never think to blame the ingredients.

And somehow—whether it was only a psychological effect or not—after eating it, they all felt more energetic too.

“Could these really all be from plant king stock?”

Aside from the grain, there were actually this many bargains to be picked out?

Jin Ting was baffled. The Xihe Federation had once been a discarded star territory of the Yaojin Empire, with very limited resources and poor agricultural development.

So how exactly had this Doctor Ye developed such an ability—one that did not rely on data at all, but could judge ingredient quality with the naked eye alone?

Could it be that he was not really from Xihe? But even if he were from some other nation, that kind of ability was still unheard of.

At last, he could not help muttering, “Doctor Ye is so skinny—could it be because he’s just too picky about food?”

Li Fubo nodded, but inwardly he had already made up his mind: from now on, whatever Doctor Ye ate, he was going to eat too.

Pay premium-ingredient prices and get plant king produce instead? Damn, who could resist that?

Ye Yumeng had no idea about any of their guesses.

First he followed the smartbrain’s directions to the medical department and picked up his doctor’s uniform.

From this day on, he officially became “Doctor Ye.”

When he came out wearing it, he happened to run into Head Nurse Tian Fu. Seeing his “new skin,” she was not surprised in the slightest.

As head nurse, she had naturally been among the first to know.

Looking at Ye Yumeng, her eyes were full of admiration and delight, and there was not even a trace of her usual sternness left on her face.

“Congratulations, Doctor Ye,” she said. “Please guide us well in the future.”

“You too!”

Since both were busy, they did not exchange many extra words and soon returned to their duties. Ye Yumeng headed up to the top floor of the Core Inpatient Department, and seeing that Lei Qi was still there, he asked him about the bonus.

Lei Qi had not expected him to be so direct.

At the beginning, because the grandmasters’ judgment had been wrong, he had not even intended to give Ye Yumeng any bonus at all.

When Mo Yin had hinted at it, he had still been grumbling inwardly.

Who could have guessed the truth was that Ye Yumeng had used a life-saving medical technique on His Majesty back then?

In other words, he had saved His Majesty’s life.

With a contribution that enormous, how could a mere twenty-thousand bonus possibly count as enough? But because of the Yaojin Empire’s complicated political situation, any reward given to Ye Yumeng could not be made too openly visible.

Lei Qi had a splitting headache over it.

Anything related to His Majesty could not be mentioned. The life-preserving talisman could not be mentioned. Old Mister Yan’s case could not be mentioned either. As for his support of the East Wing…

That was part of His Highness the Prince’s test, so that could not be mentioned for now, either.

Fortunately, Ye Yumeng had done another big thing this time—

“The extra thirty thousand is the pay for your part-time work as a nutritionist for Bai Shuo and Zhang Zhuyu.”

“Part-time nutritionist?” Ye Yumeng had never expected that besides purchasing inspector, he had somehow acquired another part-time title too.

Were jobs at the Royal Sanatorium always this casual?

At that point Lei Qi continued, “Doctor Huai Yebai also mentioned the calming sachet to me. What sort of good thing is that?”

“If it’s really as miraculous as he says, I’m willing to buy it at a high price!”

For this kind of medical item—especially one involving medicinal effects—the Royal Sanatorium had a very strict set of regulations.

Handling it through official channels would be troublesome, but Lei Qi was perfectly willing to buy it out of his own pocket.

If the calming sachet really could treat spiritual power disorder, then perhaps it would also work on spiritual power rampage?

If it really could, that would be a tremendous discovery!

Lei Qi looked at Ye Yumeng with eager eyes.

But Ye Yumeng quickly noticed the wording in what Lei Qi had said—he seemed to mean buying it personally, not as the Royal Sanatorium.

“Director Lei, do you mean that you personally want to purchase the calming sachet?” he asked directly.

“That’s right. Although the sachet you’ve provided might truly have a good effect for patients, under the sanatorium’s rules, this kind of medical product normally isn’t bought from private individuals.”

Lei Qi explained, “Even in special circumstances, a complete experimental report would still be required.”

Looking at Ye Yumeng, he said with certainty, “Doctor Ye, something like your calming sachet probably hasn’t undergone any experimental research and analysis, has it?”

After Huai Yebai told him, Lei Qi had gone to take a look in both Zhang Zhuyu’s and Shi Hanyu’s rooms.

He had not rashly taken the sachets off, but had examined them carefully under the light and smelled them.

As a member of the grass-and-wood clan, he could easily distinguish that, besides Mist Snow flower, the sachets also contained wood and mineral matter.

And those components were exactly the same as those used in the paper of the life-preserving talisman Ye Yumeng had given him.

“Inside that calming sachet, I’m afraid you’ve also used another kind of talisman—different from the life-preserving talisman. Isn’t that right?”

Ye Yumeng was not surprised that Lei Qi had guessed this. The moment he had brought out the calming sachets, he had already expected it.

What he had not expected was Lei Qi’s speed. The thing had only been used last night, and already this morning he had come knocking.

Ye Yumeng nodded. “I thought that since it’s only a sachet, it wouldn’t count as medicine and wouldn’t need a report… If I wanted to sell it online, would I still need one?”

That last question was directed at Mo Yin, who was in the room.

Compared to Director Lei, he still trusted Ah Mo more.

Mo Yin glanced at Lei Qi, then nodded. “If you sell it as an ordinary sachet, the requirements aren’t as strict. But if you advertise medicinal effects, then yes, you do need to provide a medicinal analysis report.”

Ye Yumeng frowned. Even sachets needed that process? Wouldn’t that mean there was no way to sell them online?

“A medicinal analysis report actually isn’t that hard to obtain. The main thing is to determine the ingredients and whether there are any contraindications.”

As for more detailed animal experiments and research, not every medicine required that, so Lei Qi’s earlier wording had clearly been somewhat misleading.

Even after being exposed, Lei Qi’s expression did not change. If his skin had not been thick enough, he never would have become a director.

“If you need this kind of analysis report, the Royal Sanatorium can produce it, and with greater authority.”

Ye Yumeng nodded, mentally filing away this piece of information. For now, though, it was still not time for him to sell externally.

After all, he still did not know how long the new calming talismans would last, and with the spiritual energy he had available each day, his daily output would only be around ten to twenty at most.

Only after his cultivation improved, or after the materials were upgraded, would he be able to increase production and duration. For now, he could only supply the sanatorium itself.

“Doctor Ye, are you planning to sell the calming sachets online?” Mo Yin asked.

“Yes.” Ye Yumeng nodded. “I saw on the medical section of the forum that many injured and disabled soldiers suffer from insomnia. The calming sachets should help them.”

If the sanatorium would not buy directly from private individuals, then he would all the more need to open up his own sales channel.

But then Lei Qi said, “If you’re willing to sell the calming sachets to me and authorize me to conduct experimental research on them, then once results are achieved, I’ll share the report with you.”

“That way, once you have the report in hand, anything you want to do afterward will be much more convenient.”

Whether he wanted to cooperate with the sanatorium or sell them at high prices online, that report would be extremely useful.

Ye Yumeng, however, looked surprised. So if someone wanted to study his things, they needed his authorization first?

There had been some awareness of this kind of anti-copying protection in the cultivation world too, but there, people used restrictions and seals to protect things, not talk about “authorization.”

It was the first time Ye Yumeng had heard such a concept, and he found it novel.

Looking at Lei Qi, he asked, “But in that case, what benefit do you get out of it?”

“First, of course, it satisfies my curiosity. And second…”

Lei Qi said seriously, “I want priority purchasing rights for the calming sachets.”

The moment he said that, Mo Yin turned to look at him, and even the mental force emanating from the hospital bed covered him.

Lei Qi calmly accepted the scrutiny from both of them.

He had already given up on life-preserving talismans—there was no point even thinking about them. But calming sachets, or rather calming talismans? Those he could absolutely think about.

He believed His Majesty would not rebuke him over that.

Ye Yumeng thought for a moment, then pressed further: “Do you mean priority purchasing rights for you personally, or for the Royal Sanatorium?”

Lei Qi smiled. “As long as I’m still director, priority purchasing rights for the Royal Sanatorium.”

His own position as director was not exactly immovable. At any time, some medical accident or another could get him removed.

After all, those who came to the Royal Sanatorium for treatment were all either rich or powerful. Even as the director, he often had to bow and scrape like a grandson.

Now that such a good opportunity had appeared, he naturally had to seize it at once and add more weight to his own side.

“I see…”

Ye Yumeng neither agreed nor refused. After hesitating, Lei Qi spoke again, this time with real sincerity.

“If the calming sachets can actually be used to treat spiritual power rampage, then that would be the research direction I’d want to pursue. If it truly works, then its importance will far exceed what you can currently imagine.”

“Spiritual power rampage has troubled the medical world for many years. If it can truly be solved, that would be a merit that benefits generations and countless people.”

Though Lei Qi did want to secure benefits for himself through this, even more than that, he genuinely hoped that this line of research could eventually cure those patients suffering under spiritual power rampage.

If they could reduce—or even completely eliminate—spiritual power rampage, then Medical Planet would no longer need to go all the way to the Xihe Federation to recruit caregivers.

“So,” Lei Qi said tensely, “I hope you’ll grant me this authorization.”

Use calming talismans to treat spiritual power rampage? That was yet another piece of knowledge Ye Yumeng had never known.

“I’m not sure the calming sachets actually have that effect,” he said.

Lei Qi showed a faint smile. “And that is precisely the purpose and meaning of carrying out experimental research.”

“Director Lei, let me think about it. I’ll give you an answer in a few days.” Ye Yumeng did not agree immediately.

Lei Qi still wanted to say more, but Ye Yumeng added, “Anyway, you can’t actually start the experiment right away, can you?”

“…That’s true.”

Preparatory work had to be done, and his schedule would need to be arranged.

Though the matter had him itching from head to toe, Lei Qi still had no choice but to nod and give Ye Yumeng time to think.

“Alright then. I hope you’ll make a good choice.”

At the Royal Sanatorium, several grandmasters of medicine were still there, busy researching what exactly was special about that group of Xihe caregivers.

If they joined in too, Lei Qi did not believe he would stand much of a chance. But…

He could still at least try to fight for it.

Since he had been on duty overnight, Lei Qi soon left to get some rest, and the ward was left with only Ye Yumeng and Mo Yin.

Ye Yumeng could not help rubbing his chin.

Did calming talismans really have that much value? Back in the cultivation world, this kind of talisman did not even count as third-rate…

He had a feeling this would probably not be a bad thing for him, but he still decided to ask Lu Qi later.

He did not understand many of the common rules of this world, so it was better to discuss things with someone knowledgeable. If Lu Qi said there was no problem, then he would agree to Director Lei’s proposal.

Ye Yumeng went over to the bedside, chatted gently with the little rabbit, fed him rice porridge, and helped him digest and absorb it.

Lu Nanzhou could feel that his mental state had already improved compared to before. It truly was getting better little by little, just as Ye Yumeng had said.

There was a faint smile at the corner of Ye Yumeng’s lips, and whenever their eyes met, his eyes would curve a little more.

Thinking of the ambiguous images he had seen last night and this morning…

Lu Nanzhou awkwardly turned his gaze away.

Ye Yumeng, of course, had no way of guessing what wild thoughts were going through the little rabbit’s head. After finishing the feeding, he took out the Flow Shadow Talisman that had been tucked beneath him.

This Flow Shadow Talisman had been adjusted the same way as the one for Little Shan Lan. It released the Minor Rejuvenation Technique much more slowly, essentially making it a long-duration life-preserving talisman.

He had expected it to still contain at least half its spiritual energy, but to his surprise, in less than a day, it had already completely lost effect.

The little rabbit’s rate of consumption was even faster than Old Mister Yan’s.

This proved that his own vitality was very strong. That was why he could withstand this level of consumption in the first place—and when outside help appeared, his body absorbed it frantically.

Ye Yumeng directly infused the now-blank Flow Shadow Talisman with three uses of the Minor Rejuvenation Technique and tucked it back beneath the little rabbit.

“Our little rabbit is recovering so well!” Ye Yumeng said, patting the little rabbit’s head.

By now, Lu Nanzhou was already used to it.

He quietly watched Ye Yumeng, lightly breathing in his scent, feeling that as long as he was by his side, he could relax completely…

Unfortunately, Ye Yumeng was not someone who could ever really sit still, and before long he left the ward again.

Lu Nanzhou watched his departing figure with lingering reluctance until he disappeared beyond the doorway. Though he knew that if he only said the word, Ye Yumeng would surely stay, in the end he still only withdrew his gaze in silence.

If he liked it, then let him go.

Lu Nanzhou closed his eyes and carefully sensed the fluctuations of power coming from the Flow Shadow Talisman, hoping that one day he might understand and master that power himself.

Ye Yumeng went down to the tenth floor, planning to check on Old Mister Yan, only to find that besides Yan Xueyun, there was now also a young man in the room.

The man looked about twenty-five or twenty-six. Dressed in fitted training clothes, broad and powerfully built, he radiated an imposing presence. Combined with his short brown curls, he looked exactly like a lion poised to spring.

When Ye Yumeng entered, the man turned to look, and his golden-orange eyes narrowed slightly, filled with scrutiny and pride.

Ye Yumeng instinctively stopped.

The danger-sense he had developed since childhood made him immediately want to keep away from a threatening source.

“Doctor Ye, you’ve come.”

Fortunately, Yan Jin’s aged voice sounded in time, and the young man’s assessing stare eased somewhat.

“So you’re Doctor Ye?” Yan Xinglan swept his gaze over Ye Yumeng from top to bottom.

He had already guessed that this Doctor Ye would be young, but the actual appearance still exceeded his expectations.

It was a kind of slender, delicate beauty rarely seen among medical staff—

After all, in a sense, doctors and nurses also did physical work. Without a strong enough body, one simply could not keep up.

And yet this Doctor Ye looked more like some exquisite, breathtakingly beautiful fragile object—radiant and dazzling, yet impossible to separate from a sense of vulnerability…

“Xinglan.”

Yan Jin’s warning tone snapped Yan Xinglan back to himself.

He pressed his lips together, and his manner became somewhat more respectful. In a clear voice he said, “First time meeting you. I’m Yan Xinglan.”

Ye Yumeng nodded. “Hello.”

He had pretty much guessed by now that this was the grandson Old Mister Yan had been desperately holding on to see one last time.

Since they had finally managed to meet, then the commission from the Yan family… could be considered completed?

At the thought of the house on the capital planet, Ye Yumeng’s heart leaped, though his expression remained calm and natural, revealing none of it.

He quickly walked over to the bed, deliberately circling around Yan Xinglan to the other side—though this person did carry golden merit light, it was much dimmer than his grandfather’s, and he looked fierce and dangerous, so it was better not to provoke him.

“Old Mister Yan, how are you feeling today?”

“Not bad. Not as weak as before.” Yan Jin nodded, his gaze toward Ye Yumeng gentle and kindly.

Perhaps Old Mister Yan had accumulated enough merit in his youth; relying only on the boost from the Minor Rejuvenation Technique, his condition had actually improved.

Ye Yumeng still could not calculate exactly how much lifespan he had left, but at the very least he could hold on a while longer.

Ye Yumeng took out the sachet he had prepared—the same kind as Little Shan Lan’s, with a Flow Shadow Talisman infused with the Minor Rejuvenation Technique inside.

That way, even if someone saw it, there would not be much to explain.

He tucked the sachet into Old Mister Yan’s clothing pocket and smoothly took the previous Flow Shadow Talisman back into the spirit-brush storage space.

By now Yan Jin was used to Ye Yumeng’s methods, and did not show any surprise.

“Then have a good rest. I’ll be off now,” Ye Yumeng said.

“Alright. Thank you for your hard work, Doctor Ye.”

From the side, Yan Xinglan watched the whole thing in confusion. Was this Doctor Ye… examining his grandfather?

What was that little cloth pouch?

Just as he saw Ye Yumeng reaching the door, Yan Xinglan hurriedly called out, “Doctor Ye.”

Ye Yumeng turned back to look at him, and Yan Xinglan said, “Thank you for saving my grandfather.”

“In my capacity as the next leader of the lion clan, I promise you this: so long as it does not violate Yaojin law or the interests of my clan, the lion clan is willing to grant you one request.”

“We will brave fire and water without hesitation.”

Ye Yumeng immediately thought of the promise the little rabbit’s brother, Ruan Qing, had given him before.

Was this some kind of Yaojin Empire custom?

Save a life and receive one promise in return, or something like that…

Ye Yumeng shook his head. “No need. Just pay the agreed compensation.”

To be greedy beyond measure could harm one’s merit. Whatever had been agreed upon from the beginning should remain the deal. He had no wish to suddenly change terms halfway through.

Yan Xinglan had not expected that answer, and his brows drew together. “Do you even know what it is you’re refusing?”

“No.”

Yan Xinglan: “……”

He had not expected this Doctor Ye to be so blunt. Just as he was about to explain, he saw the young man wear an expression of obvious disinterest and say, “If there’s nothing else, then I’m going back to work.”

Ye Yumeng was already lifting a foot to leave.

“Doctor Ye!” Yan Xinglan called after him again.

Ye Yumeng stopped and looked back strangely. “Is there anything else?”

Yan Xinglan stared at him for a while, then finally said, “…No, nothing.”

Surely he could not possibly say, My grandfather wants me to treat you like my own grandfather, too, right…

This person really was strange.

Ye Yumeng said again, “Then I’m off.”

“Mm.”

Soon, only Yan Xinglan and his grandfather remained in the room.

“You little brat!” As soon as Ye Yumeng left, Yan Jin reached out and smacked the back of his grandson’s head.

“What exactly did I tell you before?”

Yan Xinglan pressed his lips together and answered unwillingly, “That when I see Doctor Ye, I should treat him as I would treat you…”

“And what were you doing just now?”

Yan Xinglan had no way to argue, so he could only say, “I’ll pay attention in the future.”

Yan Jin sighed and shook his head. “Enough. I’ve already said everything that needed to be said.”

Yan Xinglan clenched his fists, still confused.

“Grandfather, His Majesty…”

Yan Jin closed his eyes, clearly unwilling to speak any more about the matter. “Xinglan, this is the Royal Sanatorium.”

That emperor… was very likely watching this place.

Yan Xinglan could only shut his mouth. Then he heard his grandfather sigh again and say, “Go check on your elder brother. He’s in… probably in the activity room.”

After leaving Yan Jin’s room, Ye Yumeng continued on to the fifth floor.

He first went to Zhang Zhuyu’s room.

Strangely, the caregiver on duty was not Gan Xiaoyang this time, but another one.

“You must be Doctor Ye. My name is Chang Yingyin,” she said. “Xiaoyang already told me about you.”

Ye Yumeng nodded. “Hello, Sister Chang.”

Chang Yingyin looked to be in her thirties, so it was entirely natural for Ye Yumeng to call her that—or rather, in the entire Royal Sanatorium, or even all of Medical Planet, there was probably no medical staff member younger than Ye Yumeng.

After all, by Yaojin Empire law, he would only be considered an adult in a few more months.

Yet when she heard him call her “Sister Chang,” Chang Yingyin looked a little flustered. She froze briefly, then smiled. “Doctor Ye, please come in.”

The little silver mouse was still sleeping soundly.

He wore a little pajama set, lay sprawled on a soft cushion, and had a small soft cloth draped over him, with only a little bit of silver-gray fluff peeking out.

Ye Yumeng lifted the cloth slightly and saw that the mouse was still clutching the calming sachet tightly in his arms, his chin resting on it. It was so cute.

“Has Xiaoyu woken up at all since yesterday?” he asked.

“Yes.”

Chang Yingyin answered softly, “He woke up to drink water and relieve himself, then went right back to sleep. No one could wake him after that.”

Gan Xiaoyang had even secretly changed him into a little outfit. He said that during the whole process, no matter what he did, the silver mouse never woke up. Before, something like that would have been completely unimaginable!

If the sanatorium didn’t have strict rules, Chang Yingyin would really have wanted to take a picture of the silver mouse in pajamas.

It was just too adorable!

“Doctor Huai said this is a normal phenomenon. As long as he can still eat, drink, and go to the bathroom normally, then there’s no problem. Once he’s had enough sleep, he naturally won’t keep sleeping like this forever.”

“And by then, his physical condition will definitely improve a great deal!”

Because of his spiritual power disorder, the little silver mouse had been in a state of chronic sleep deprivation for a very long time. That was also one of the reasons his body had grown so weak.

As long as he could sleep, his body would recover much faster in sleep than at ordinary times.

All in all, this was an extremely encouraging development.

“Grrrrowl—”

Just then, the sound of a rumbling stomach echoed through the room. Ye Yumeng and Chang Yingyin looked at one another, then simultaneously turned toward Zhang Zhuyu.

The little silver mouse, who had been sleeping so soundly, twitched his nose and poked his head out from under the little cloth. His tiny pink ears, bean-sized, gave a little tremble within his fur.

He stretched out all four limbs and yawned, as though preparing to wake up, and then…

The fluffy silver-gray ball simply collapsed flat again, turning into a lazy little pancake.

It was as if he had booted up halfway and then frozen.

Ye Yumeng could not help poking the little limp furball through the cloth with a finger.

Since she knew the silver mouse had terrible waking-up temper issues, Chang Yingyin had not dared approach once she saw him begin to stir. Seeing Ye Yumeng do that, she could not help being startled.

Fortunately, what she feared did not happen.

The little silver mouse, who had collapsed just moments earlier, finally rebooted properly. He opened his mouth in a big yawn, then pushed away the little blanket with his forepaws and sat up blearily.

He sat there in a daze, eyes full of confusion.

Ye Yumeng opened the meal box and let the smell drift over. “Perfect timing. Come eat.”

Zhang Zhuyu had not slept this well in a very long time, and he was still thoroughly groggy.

Even though the aroma surrounded him and his body’s instincts had him nearly drooling, he did not react much right away.

Unable to resist, Ye Yumeng scooped him up.

The little silver mouse curled obediently in Ye Yumeng’s palm, warm and adorable.

Then, under Chang Yingyin’s complicated gaze, Ye Yumeng began rubbing and kneading the little furball.

A little stroke here, a little pinch there, a little rub after that…

Aside from some initial struggle and paw-waving, the silver mouse did not become agitated or enraged. Once he had properly woken up, he actually started laughing.

“D-Doctor Ye… hahaha… that tickles… Doctor Ye, don’t do that… hahaha…”

The young voice, still carrying traces of youth and inexperience, sounded brighter and more carefree than usual.

Only when he was fully awake did Ye Yumeng reluctantly stop.

After laughing like that, the physically weak silver mouse was naturally a little out of breath, but he was fully awake now.

“Doctor Ye, you came to bring me delicious food again?” Sitting in Ye Yumeng’s palm, he rubbed his stomach with his little paws. “But didn’t I just eat? Why am I hungry again?”

“And also… when did I put on new clothes?” He tugged at the little pajama set that had become slightly rumpled.

Chang Yingyin stepped forward and explained the situation to him.

“Huh? I actually slept for a whole day and night?” The little silver mouse stared with his little bean eyes wide open, disbelief written all over them. “No wonder I feel so good!”

“It’s because of the calming sachet Doctor Ye prepared for you that your sleep quality improved this much,” Chang Yingyin said. She had heard all about it from Gan Xiaoyang during shift handover.

“So the nice smell came from this sachet?”

While Ye Yumeng had been rubbing him awake, he had already taken the calming sachet off his neck temporarily and set it aside.

“But if I can smell it now too, why don’t I feel sleepy?” Zhang Zhuyu asked in confusion.

He knew exactly how long he had been tormented by sleep problems! If it didn’t work in the future, wouldn’t that be too unbearable…

“It only works when worn against the body.”

Ye Yumeng set the meal box in front of him. “Right now, it’s time to eat, not think about sleeping.”

“Oh, okay.”

The little silver mouse nodded obediently and began eating seriously, his cheeks quickly puffing out.

Once he had eaten enough, Ye Yumeng used the Digestion-Boosting, Fluid-Generating Art on him again to help him digest, but after finishing, he did not let him go back to sleep.

Instead, Ye Yumeng sent the link to the health exercise video to Chang Yingyin and asked her to find a way to supervise the little silver mouse’s practice.

The calming talisman only served as an aid. It could not cure spiritual power disorder outright. Continued observation was still necessary, and naturally they could not rely only on that method.

So practicing the health exercise and strengthening his body was also a good approach.

“Just have him practice during the day, preferably under sunlight.” Ye Yumeng looked at Zhang Zhuyu, then suddenly cut himself off.

Originally, he had been about to say that Little Shan Lan was practicing too, and they could do it together so he’d have some company.

But then he remembered Zhang Zhuyu was a mouse, while Little Shan Lan and Sheng Hao were both cats, and he instantly abandoned the idea.

“Once he finishes his exercises, you can put the sachet back on him.”

“Okay, got it!”

Zhang Zhuyu obediently turned on his smartbrain and began watching the detailed exercise video.

Standing on the tabletop, he made tiny fists with his little front paws, imitating the movements in the video. He looked like a tiny clay figurine come to life, and up close one could even make out the minute details of his claws.

The little silver mouse’s bean-like black eyes widened into perfect circles as he concentrated, his tiny fists moving through the air while his fluffy body swayed with them.

At the very end, as he attempted one turn, his two little paws tangled together, and the round little silver mouse went splat onto the table, rolled a few times, and only then came to a stop.

Ye Yumeng: “……”

Thinking so was maybe a little wrong, but oh no, that was too cute aaaaah!

He was just wondering whether he should film it when his communicator suddenly rang. Lowering his head, he discovered that the call was from someone unexpected.

It was Chen Limin, the person in charge of the Activity Center.

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